After the death of Mr. Holmes, and his wife Scarlett, Nathan was sent to the orphanage. He was only seven years old and unfortunately his only closest relative was an aunt, widowed and with a dependent child, who therefore did not have the possibility to also look after her nephew, as much as she would have really wanted to do so.

Throughout his life, Nathan had been rejected by numerous families. He had been chosen, sometimes, but something always happened and they ended up bringing him back. While his friends kept finding the perfect and loving family, he had given up on the idea that he would remain alone forever, that no one would ever want him. He reached a point where not even the harassment of the other children in the orphanage could hurt him. He let everything slide over him without bothering to react. He was just waiting for the day when he would leave that place. In fact, as soon as he came of age, he left the orphanage. His cousin Savannah, and his aunt, would contact him from time to time and try to help him however they could. But Nathan was determined to make it on his own. If there was one thing he had learned from his experience in the orphanage, it was that he could only rely on himself and no one else, because sooner or later everyone would turn their backs on him and abandon him.

Nathan didn't really want to work, or cook or even clean the house. He was really a lazy boy, who didn't know what he wanted from life. He was just surviving. He spent his days divided between the tiny apartment, which he had rented, and his job at the convenience store. It was the only job he managed to find that he was comfortable with. The important thing was to be able to pay the rent.

The convenience store, where Nathan worked, was very small and was perfect for him. He spent most of his time at the register, doing absolutely nothing. He only had to greet customers as they entered and exited and give them the bill when they reached the counter.

Customers there were truly a rarity and he spent more time scribbling on the counter than actually working. Which was perfect for him as he didn't really want to be there.

Every now and then he also took a look at the images from the security cameras, but not much was happening in that suburb. 

«I wonder why this place hasn't gone bankrupt yet… » he asked himself all too often.

He sat sprawled on the chair behind the counter and only regained his composure when the door bell rang. «Welcome.» he said with a beautiful smile but, as soon as they moved out of his field of vision, Nathan snorted and sat back down until they showed up to pay the bill.

There were also extremely rude customers, and he tended to reciprocate them with the same rudeness. For this reason he was subjected to numerous warnings. «You should take this job a little more seriously, boy. Make sure you work hard.» his boss told him all the time. But Nathan promptly pretended to listen to him and then went back to behaving the same way.

During the summer, even though that convenience store was even more deserted than usual, Nathan still had to stay at the counter until late.

That night, the first and only customer was a girl.

«Welcome.» Nathan told her politely, without paying too much attention. Not even her suspicious clothing – a black sweatshirt and a cap that covered part of her face – alarmed him. Only when he heard a thud and saw a can rolling across the floor did he finally make a move. He rushed between the shelves to see what had happened.

Actually, he was more worried that the place wasn't insured to pay for any injuries, than for the health of the girl he found collapsed on the floor. Her hand was on the shelf, perhaps she tried to support herself.

«Are you okay?» Nathan asked her, but there was no hint of concern on his face, even his voice was quite firm.

The girl didn't answer, she seemed to be struggling to breathe. Maybe she was on the verge of fainting, but it was hard to tell, her hat prevented Nathan from seeing her face. He had no idea what to do, he had never seen anyone faint, except sometimes on TV.

From the pocket of the girl's black sweatshirt, he glimpsed the bright screen of a cell phone lighting up, a second later he also heard a ringtone. Someone was calling her but she didn't move. Nathan, without hesitation, took the phone out of her pocket and answered, hoping that the interlocutor could save him from that situation and take care of that girl. As soon as the person on the other end heard the voice of that young stranger, hung up and, a moment later, a man in his forties rushed into the convenience store. «Dawn? Dawn where are you?» he shouted as he searched the aisles of shelves. When he finally saw her, he freaked out. Without asking any questions he grabbed Nathan by the collar of his uniform. «What did you do to her? You bas– »

«Dad, calm down. It's alright.», the girl decided to speak. She rose to her feet. She seemed to have recovered completely. She looked at the young boy her father was holding by force. «He… is one of us.», Dawn smiled, turning to Nathan. «Please forgive my father, he is overprotective. But I can assure you he is a good person and a very respectable principal in our institute.»

The man let go of Nathan and pull himself together by tidying up his nice gray suit.

«Whatever.» Nathan said without batting an eye. He didn't care about her or the principal of who knows what place. He bent down to clean up the mess caused by that girl, before his boss gave him yet another lecture. In fact, in holding on, the young woman had dropped many of the products on the shelves of the shelf. Some were jars containing liquids which, having crashed to the ground, had scattered across the floor.

«I am sorry. It's all my fault.», Dawn knelt next to him. She helped him collect what could be saved. «I'm not usually this clumsy.»

While she tried to make conversation, to be friendly, Nathan didn't make the slightest effort. Dawn stopped to look at him. His gestures, his movements, were automatic, mechanical. His face was completely expressionless.

«Dawn, forget it. We'd better go.» her father told her, still standing a few steps away from them. «We have to go back to the institute. We'll have herbal teas another time.»

The girl, however, had no intention of giving up. «We can't leave him here.» she insisted. «He is one of us, I told you. He must come with us.»

Nathan sighed. He didn't know what she meant and he didn't care, he had to think about the disaster on the floor and his survival. He didn't want to start looking for another job, he wanted to keep that one. He got up to get a broom from the closet but Dawn jumped up and grabbed his arm. «Wait.»

Nathan freed himself from her grasp. «I'm trying to work, you've already done enough damage.» he said, but from the tone of his voice he didn't even sound angry.

«Follow us, we will explain everything to you.»

Nathan still didn't understand what she meant. He had no intention of going with them, he just wanted them to leave him alone until his shift was over. That job was perfect for him, precisely because it minimized interactions with other human beings. But those two were really annoying, that evening. After having covered the floor with oils, various liquids and shattered jars, they continued to speak to him, disturbing his usual quiet. And Nathan didn't want to waste any more time.

Dawn sighed then looked up at the ceiling and the lights began to intermittently turn on and off. «You see, I'm like you. You don't have to be afraid. You can trust me.»

Nathan rolled his eyes fed up and bored. What's a new pickup technique?, he thought. But he didn't have time for those two misfits, he had to clean up the mess and, apparently, also check the meter. «Misfortunes never come alone... » he whispered, then tried to move away again but something prevented his left foot from moving. He looked down and saw his ankle wrapped in a transparent little cord. It looked like it was water. It was neither solid nor liquid, yet he couldn't step forward nor lift his foot off the ground. He continued to stare at that thing, confused. Then, suddenly, the ring of water exploded into what looked like fireworks. For the first time since she had entered, Dawn saw something on the boy's face. It was just amazement, mixed with confusion, but it was better than his bored face from earlier.

«See, I told you, I'm like you, you can trust me.» she told him.

«Follow us, we will take you to a safe place.» the girl's father intervened.

«We have to help each other, we are one family.», Dawn smiled at him and, from under the visor of her hat, her green eyes met Nathan's, hidden between the messy tufts of her black curls. She studied him and moved closer so she could get a better look at him. «Could it be that, by any chance… your powers haven't manifested themselves yet?»

Nathan's expression became confused again, he instinctively took a step back.

«That doesn't explain his catatonic state.» Dawn's father said.

«Allen! Don't make things worse.» his daughter scolded him. «We'll never convince him to follow us if you talk to him like that.»

«Follow you where?» Nathan finally spoke.

«You'll see.», Dawn smiled at him again and for a moment she thought she saw Nathan's lips curve slightly too.